Srikrishna report indicts striking Tamil Nadu lawyers

A former Supreme Court judge on Friday made a strong indictment of lawyers in Tamil Nadu for striking work in the state and clashing with police in Madras High Court premises on February 19.

BN Srikrishna indicted the lawyers in his report submitted to the apex court on Friday.

A bench of Justice KG Balakrishnan is presently hearing the matter involving lawyers in Tamil Nadu and the strike they are on.

In his report, Srikrishna urged the Supreme Court to "take this opportunity to exercise its extraordinary constitutional powers and lay down sufficient guidelines for the behaviour of the lawyers within and without the court premises as the bar councils have not been acting as an effective regulatory body of their professional conduct".

"It would be ideal if the Advocates Act is amended to ensure a better disciplinary mechanism of the profession of law since it affects not only lawyers but also litigants, the administration of justice in the country and finally the rule of law itself," said Srikrishna in his report.

Until such time that appropriate legislation is made, it is desirable that the Supreme Court should formulate appropriate guidelines to be followed by lawyers and enforced by all courts, he said.

Srikrishna was asked by the lawyers to probe the circumstances leading to the clash between the lawyers and the police within Madras High Court premises.

A number of lawyers and a judge were injured in the clash between the police and advocates within the Madras High Court premises on February 19.